I'm almost bokenhearted...
 

I started commuting to work back in December because I was given permission to use the manager's spa to clean up before my shift. I have been riding to work about 1-2 times a week and have enjoyed the benefits and the challenge greatly.

My commute is 11.75 miles and is uphill all the way with a couple of 3% climbs. I live in Phoenix and it is 90 degrees this time of year so I tend to get pretty sweaty especially carrying a backpack with my change of clothes and everything.

Today, the general manager of our orginization veto'd the previous manager's decision to let me use the manager's spa. I feel totally deflated. I can't ride to work anymore? One of the things in life I enjoy the most, has been taken away from me.

I don't want to just roll over and die. I want to continue to ride. What strategies do you guys employ to stay fresh smelling when you get to work? or is there even a way to do that. I have access to a restroom to change in, and I think I can get hold of a bath towel, but that's about it. Someone said shower before you ride, then towel off immediately when you reach the destination and put on fresh clothes. Does this actually work in my climate?

Thanks!

Totally possible! I live in CA, it doesn't get quite as hot here, but it's consistently 90-100+ in the summer. I get to campus ~15 minutes early to cool off. I use these: wetones to clean sweat off. About a dollar for a pack of 20 or so. The biggest thing is just having enough time to cool off. It seems you're not riding in your work clothes, which is good. Changing helps loads. If you tend to stink a huge amount, you may consider reapplying deodorant to be on the safe side.

When I lived in Phoenix (and the gym in the building that let me use their shower closed), I had to change a few things to still allow the commute possible. Shower in the morning before the ride. This works in every climate, but especially in Phoenix. Clean bodies don't have the bacteria that allows B.O. to form. Also take food/clothes/clean up kit to work a couple days in advance, this way you don't have to carry anything on your back. If need be, use a bus/light rail "boost" to shorten up the morning ride. Take your sweet time and don't overdo it. Use the last mile or two to cruise and cool down. Then when you get to work, freshen up in the sink and change clothes.

You can also see if there's a gym nearby work that will let you get a shower only pass.

It worked for me in DC, where it's humid to boot. I've also heard people suggest baby wipes, but who knows what works for whom? I had a coworker who would come in drenched in sweat after walking two miles - never did smell him, though. You can always test it out for yourself. Just go out tomorrow morning, ride hard for 12 or 15 miles to be sure, towel off, and ask a friend to smell you at 4pm.

This is not a deal breaker. I live in Florida, where temps are regularly in the 80s and humid before 7am. My commute is 22 miles each way. I shower before I leave for work, then wash my face and wipe down with baby wipes 20 minutes after I arrive. Reapply deodorant, maybe a bit of body spray. A shower isn't necessary.

@JAG410 - if only your "last mile or two to cruise and cool down" idea were an option. The last two miles is cranking up a mountain and even at slow speeds (12-15mph) it's a bear, and the final climb to our driveway is a cat3 climb. I work in a rural area so the closest gym is at the bottom of the mountain about 3 miles away.

Perhaps on my day off on Monday, I'll shower and then go for a ride, then immediately try the wiping down and changing and see how I feel throughout the day. It wouldn't be an issue to carry some deodorant and moose in my bag. It's unfortunate that I work in a place where my bag would be stolen if I left it somewhere at work so riding without it is not an option.

Dont stop commuting man.. as others have mentioned just get to work earlier and cool off. Wipe off as much as you can and use some body spray :D

Your commute is not that far but with heat like that, I am sure your body can start to smell like a moose attacked...it happens to me. If you have a membership to a gym that is a couple of miles from work, go in and quickly shower there then cruise the remainder miles so that you don't work up too much more funk.

Try super-absorbent swim towels, something like this: http://www.swimoutlet.com/product_p/4226.htm

I've read (and believe) that most body odor is in surface sweat. In my old ~8 mile commute I'd use a swim towel to wipe down in the super roomy handicapped bathroom stall & change before work. (Three cheers for the Americans with Disabilities Act!) One really nice thing about swim towels is they're supposed to be kept damp and come with rigid plastic containers -- so you're not just drying off, but also cooling yourself a bit with the damp swim towel.

Plus the swim towels are compact, machine washable, and, since they're supposed to be kept damp, you can take 'em out of the washing machine and put 'em straight back in the plastic container.

Great idea. One suggestion on that note; if you have a significant other/roommate/friend/whoever that will tell you the truth, ask them if you stink at all. Sometimes it's very difficult to detect your own funk (I know from experience). I have no idea what your work environment is like, but it may be worth trying to find out if there was a problem or misunderstanding with you using the showers that you could rectify. Good luck!

hi there fellow Phoenician, man is it getting hot here! I have two little kids so there is always a surplus of baby wipes, and they seem to work wonders. Also for my inbound commute I don't break 18mph to reserve the sweating for the trip back. Very baggy long sleeves also work strangely well, though they catch the wind like a sail, they keep the sun off which makes you feel hotter than you are and are generally ventilated. they also make vented gloves ( again to keep sun off and cool down)

I bike commute with a co-worker and sweat copiously (at least I do.) I have never smelled any stinkiness from either one of us afterwards. As others have said, sweating when clean does not seem to produce any bad odor. What I do find objectionable is the feeling of stickiness afterwards. This can be fixed by wiping down in the bathroom.

What I have found out is that eating spicy or garlic-laden food seems to impart a discernible odor to my sweat. While not unpleasant, it does produce a noticeable smell. So maybe cut down on pesto the night before.

OTOH, if you approach Pepe Le Pew levels of stinkiness, maybe that will persuade your manager to be more lenient towards the use of the shower.

Baby wipes.

I agree with the others about showering before work and wiping down at work.

I will also add that you should look to get a rack for your bike so you are not carrying the back pack. You can either bungee your back pack to the rack or get some baskets or panniers so your bike is carrying the load.

I don't know how I feel about putting a rack on a $3,500 carbon race bike. LOL

Thank you so much for your input everyone. It really made me feel better about the whole circumstance.

"Manager's spa"? That's so 1950's.

J.

I like and use Rocket Shower. I don't need to use it often, but, it does work. I am not affliated with the manufacturer in any way, other than as a satisified customer.

I use the 'change clothes and towel down' method too, and I find it works well enough. Shanghai's a pretty humid heat, too, so I get extra sweaty. A full change of clothes, including underwear, makes a huge difference. Best if you can get to work a few minutes early so you can stop sweating before you towel off and change, though. :)

wipe with towel then wipe with baby wipes. :)

Look for a new job while doing all these ;)

get a cheap dedicated commuter bike. Nashbar would be a great place to start as they have a $99 touring frame, look around, buy a few new and a few used parts and you can do it brand new for around $500 or just look to buy something used.

Any reason given for why you can't use the spa any longer? Pleading that gas is $4.00 a gallon may not go over well if your already riding a $3500 bike but regardless, it seems like a wack decision. A friend recently told me he is considering doing a partial bike commute each day because gas is out of control. His commute is 30 miles each way so he was thinking that if he could do 10-15 miles of that on a bike every day he could easily save $50 a week

Well the spa is actually part of the hotel i work in. It is for millionaire members and billionaire hotel guests. Managers on the hotel property, in any capacity, are auto spa "members" and have full use. For the sake of telling the short version of the story, I just called it the manager's spa because thats typically more universal and people will get that without explination.

There are 5 other employees who bike commute every day of the year and do not own cars, while my commute is selective and when I don't want to drive my $65,000 car. There is no way for me to spin it as a financial decision... They aren't that dumb. They have been told time and time again that the spa is not for their use. Apparently #2 and #3 who told me its ok for me to use it were kind of playing favorites by allowing me but only me to use it. When #1 found out, which took 6 months, he veto'd the decision by the others. Apparently there were plans to discipline me as he thought i was just doing it on my own without permission. Good thing I saved the emails!!

At any rate, I can't say I wouldnt have made the same decision if I were him.

Getting a cheap bike is not an option. I have cheap bikes. My 1700 square foot condo has 6 bikes in it. It would take forever to get there on a bike I cant ride at a 20mph clip for an extended period of time.

Schedule a morning one-on-one with the veto voting manager, and make sure you're good and funky for it. Closed-door, small office... See if that changes his mind. :lol:


Manager's spa? Is there an "executive washroom" there, too? Haven't heard of that sort of thing for decades; I didn't realize they still existed.
Our Senior Product Manager uses the same converted janitor's closet turned shower-room that the rest of us do.

Since the sensible options have already been covered, how about working extra hard and getting promoted to manager so you can use the manager's washroom? Or maybe just offer #1 $100 to look the other way?

Tried option 1, the promotion, and failed. Was actually going to be assistant spa mqnager oddly enough then I'd be covered!

Would a beam rack work? I've heard you might need to change the seat post if its CF, but it might help.

Tucson commuter here. You should be OK with wet wipes; the only potential issue may be getting your hair un-sweaty. When I commute in summer, I have to remember to bring a hat or kerchief for my head on the days when I can't shower after arrival. Also, wait until your core has cooled down before putting on fresh clothes.

I shower before I leave and just change clothes at work.

You don't stink if you're already clean when you sweat.

I bought four beam racks before giving up on the concept. 3 out of 4 wouldn't clear my legs when pedaling and the fourth didn't have strong enough side frames to keep a pannier out of the spokes.

Quick-release skewer mounts for the bottom are available, plus brake-bridge center stays and seat-clamp mounts for conventional stays at the top.

It gets pretty hot here in the summertime. When I get to work, I go to the mens room and take a duck bath. Strip down to the waist and just wet and use up the paper towels. Soak your head and then dry off using the paper towels. Then use your deoderant and any body spray you might use and change into work clothes. Worked everytime.
Ernest